Village house with pool and garden

A Village House With Rather Good Manners

Two/three bedrooms · Early 18th-century stone and colombage · Pool · Summer kitchen · Established gardens

Set back from a quiet, peaceful lane behind a solid oak door and a stone wall topped with iron railings (no anxious moments with escaping dogs or children), this utterly charming village house dates from the early 18th century and has been restored with such exquisite good taste that it could step straight out of the pages of The World of Interiors, and would probably arrive with its own cushions.

The Garden

Step through the oak doorway into a beautifully established village garden, the sort that takes centuries rather than a long weekend at the garden centre. An ancient well and a venerable yew tree set the tone, while the outbuilding houses a summer kitchen with its own terrace, ideal for long, lazy al fresco lunches that turn into dinner without anyone noticing. The centrepiece is a tiled 6 x 6 metre swimming pool, built into the old stone and quite the showstopper.

The Ground Floor

Inside, stone floors run throughout the ground floor, accompanied by an abundance of original beams and exposed stonework. The interiors are super stylish yet welcoming, beginning with a cosy sitting room made for long novels and longer conversations. The kitchen is both handsome and hard-working, with marble worktops and a Lacanche gas range cooker (the sort of thing that makes you take up cooking, or at least look as though you have). A utility/larder keeps the practicalities discreetly out of sight. A charming small third bedroom or study opens directly onto the garden, perfect for guests, homework or hiding.

Upstairs

An oak staircase leads to a generous first-floor landing with colombage walls and a full-height ceiling, giving the whole space a wonderful sense of light and volume. A door opens onto the house’s prettiest and most useful feature: a covered first-floor terrace, shaded from the sun and overlooking the pool and the views beyond. It is exactly where you will want to be from breakfast to the last glass of wine.

There are two stylish bedrooms, each with a practical en-suite bathroom and air conditioning, so you can sleep soundly however the French summer behaves.

The Finer Details

Gas central heating and double glazing keep things comfortable all year round. The quality of finish throughout is really quite special, from the oak staircase to the copper gutters and downpipes. If only they were all this good.

Location

Peaceful, private and full of character, yet only a five-minute drive to shops and restaurants.

In Summary

Houses of this age, charm and quality rarely come along, and even more rarely come with nothing left to do. Just unpack, pour something cold and take the stairs to the terrace. Viewing is very highly recommended.